Inspiring student documentaries advocate for social justice

USC School of Social Work master's students use filmmaking techniques to enlighten and inform

Each year, the USC School of Social Work’s Media in Social Work course, taught this year by professors Rafael Angulo and Rick Newmyer, challenges Master of Social Work students to create thought-provoking short documentaries, which are then screened at a film festival. (The one shown above is Victor Not Victims: A Different Face to Foster Care by James Williams). In one semester, these students shoot, direct, edit and produce films intended to modify behavior and attitudes while advocating for social justice issues. The theme of this year’s film festival was “Framing the Future for the 99 Percent” and included 10 student works on topics such as life during and after foster care, the effects of being a teenage father, the influence of gender norms on violent behavior, body dysmorphia among men and the impact of war on families.